"There is no doubt that Major League Soccer would not be what it is today without Landon Donovan. His decision to join MLS in 2001 was a statement to the entire soccer community, at the most crucial
time in our history, that MLS could be a league of choice for the best American players. Landon is to MLS, what Michael Jordan was to the NBA, Wayne Gretzky was to the NHL and Tiger Woods was to the
PGA Tour; a player who’s sporting accomplishments and popularity transformed their respective leagues and set a new standard for how the game would be played."